April Showers bring May flowers

Delores E. Topliff

April showers bring May flowers—or so we’ve been told.One sourcetraces that phrase to an 1886 saying which might have deeper roots in a 1610 poem. Another source says the phrase should sound like this: "March winds bring April showers which bring May flowers AND June bugs."  

In general, rain does affect the timing and abundance of flowers, said David Inouye, a Univ. of Maryland biology professor. He notes that some plants flower a second time in late summer if they have a good soaking, but for most species, initial flowering is more closely tied to temperature than to rain.

April is “typically a wet month in much of the U.S.,” says another author, Libby Ellwood. “Plants may not know the (April showers) proverb, but rarely have to worry about having enough water in the spring to start producing flowers." Others say water decides flowering dates less than warming temperatures.

These are photos of Easter 2018 in greater Minneapolis, MN. Our Siberian Husky, Willow, was happy seeing an Easter snowman. The rest of us? Not so much. Easter fell on April Fool's Day this year, but we hoped the forecast of 3-5 inches more of the white stuff falling on three other days that week was a joke. Actually, it proved true as we broke records with plummeting temperatures and prolonged unseasonable cold. We didn't want to be record breakers. We just wanted a nice, normal spring!
Maybe our snow (not rain) showers will at least produce snow drop flowers! May our warm, welcoming thoughts of spring help her arrive to triumph soon. 

Albert Camus said it best. "In the midst of winter, I found there was within me an invincible summer."

Now it's your turn. 
What is your favorite season of the year and why? How do you handle it if your season  doesn't arrive on time?